Indian Spiced Lamb

Ingredients

8 lamb chops
5tbsn olive oil
2 tsp ground cumin
2tbsn ground coriander
2tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp each nutmeg and ground cloves
2tsp turmeric
1-2tsp chilli powder

Instructions

Combine all the spices in a small bowl and set aside.

Drizzle the half of the olive oil over the lamb chops and sprinkle over half of the spice mixture. Rub into the lamb chops and repeat on the over side.

I chose to pan-fry my lamb chops but you can grill them in a griddle pan or in the oven.

Cook your lamb chops for 3-4 minutes per side and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

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Black Bean and Veggie Pizza

INGREDIENTS

Mexican pizza

• 8 large (7-inch) corn tortillas
• 2 14.5-ounce cans organic refried black beans
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 14.5-ounce can whole black olives, sliced
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 3 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• ½ bunch green onions, sliced
• ¾ cup shredded light monterey jack cheese
• Avocado cream, to taste (recipe below)
• Optional: salsa for serving.

Avocado cream

• 1 ripe avocado
• ½ cup greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 large clove garlic
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste.

INSTRUCTIONS

Mexican pizza

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F with a pizza stone (or a large baking sheet) inside.
2. Working in batches, lay as many tortillas out as possible on the pizza stone without overlapping and bake for 10 minutes, or until just crispy. Repeat until all tortillas are crispy.
3. Meanwhile, heat the black beans, paprika, cumin, and cayenne over medium heat until smooth and pliable (it doesn't need to be heated all the way through, just enough to make it easy to spread).
4. Divide the black beans among the crispy tortillas (about ⅓ cup per tortilla), and use a rubber spatula to spread the beans out evenly to the edges.
5. Evenly the olives, red onion, tomatoes, and bell pepper among the tortillas.
6. Sprinkle 1.5 tablespoons of shredded cheese over the top of each pizza.
7. Bake the pizzas for about 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the toppings are cooked through. My pizza stone holds only 4 pizzas at a time, so work in batches if needed.
8. Before serving, dollop or swirl avocado cream over the pizzas, to taste, and sprinkle sliced green onions on top. (To swirl it, I put the cream in a Ziploc bag and cut off the tip!).
9. Optional: serve with a side of salsa.

Avocado cream

 1.Toss all the ingredients in the food processor and blend until smooth. You'll likely have leftover cream that you can dip chips in too!

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Albanian Dish (Fergese)

INGREDIENTS

3-4 large long roasted peppers 

450g chopped tomato

4 Tbsp cottage cheese (or ricotta )

1 onion

4 cloves of garlic

1 Tbsp paprika

1/2 tsp chili

2 tsp sugar

1 Tbsp flour

1 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp oregano

1 Tbsp parsley

~ 50ml olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS

It should be prepared with homemade roasted peppers, but you can buy ready made, it saves time. In a medium size pot add chopped onion, fry for 3 minutes then add chopped garlic and fry for additional minute. Add finely chopped roasted peppers, chopped tomato, sugar, parsley, paprika, chili, oregano and cook for 7-10 minutes. Liquid should evaporate.  In a small pot heat butter, when it melts add flour and fry for 2 minutes, remove from the heat and add cheese, mix well.  Now add cheese and a cup of water to the tomato and pepper mixture, stir and leave it to simmer for 2-3 minutes. Grease a small oven tray and pour the sauce and add roasted peppers on top. Grill it for about 5 minutes.

 At the end, add some chopped parsley.

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Grilled shrimp with garlic butter

INGREDIENTS

1/2 lb medium-large shrimp

1 tablespoon chopped fresh garlic

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon fresh chopped parsley

1/2 teaspoon fresh chopped basil

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons melted butter

1/2 teaspoon fresh black pepper

skewers

 INSTRUCTIONS

Start by melting butter in a small sauce pan and add garlic to it just long enough enough so it gets a little brown,maybe a minute or so. Transfer to a shallow dish. Place deveined and shelled shrimp on skewers and coat well with the butter garlic mix. Sprinkle coated shrimp skewers with paprika, parsley, basil and pepper.

Spray cooking spray on your Grill and preheat with the lid closed for at least 5 minutes. Use high setting if you have it. Just prior to placing shrimp skewers on grill, spritz them with some lemon juice. Not too much though.

Place shrimp skewers on grill, close lid, and let cook for approximately 3-5 minutes. Give the skewers a turn after 2 minutes to assure even grilling.

When shrimp are done it will be firm to the touch with an opaque color. Serve immediately.

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Chicken Enchiladas with Tomatillo Sauce

Ingredients

For tomatillo sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped

3 medium cloves garlic, peeled and smashed with the side of a chef's knife

3/4 pound tomatillos, husks and stems removed, cut into 1-inch chunks

3 jalapeño chiles, seeded and roughly chopped

1 teaspoon sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

For the filling

1 pound chicken tenderloins

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1-1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

8 ounces (2 cups) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

For the tortillas and  toppings

11 6-inch corn tortillas

2-1/2 tablespoons olive oil

3 ounces (3/4 cup) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Smoked paprika

3/4 cup sour cream

1 small heart of romaine lettuce (or 5-6 leaves), shredded

1 avocado diced

1 lime, sliced

Instructions

For the tomatillo sauce

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatillos, jalapeños, sugar, salt, cumin and 1/3 cup water; bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until tomatillos are softened, about 8 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a blender and purée until completely smooth. Set aside.

 For the filling

Place the chicken tenderloins in a medium bowl and sprinkle with the cumin, smoked paprika and salt. Toss with tongs until the chicken is evenly coated with the spice blend.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick sauté pan until shimmering but not smoking. Add the chicken and cook until just done, about 2 minutes per side; transfer to a plate to cool. Do not rinse the pan. Add the onions and reduce the heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.

Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it into bite-sized pieces. (All tenderloins have a tough tendon running through them; just remove it.) Add the shredded chicken to the pan with the onions, along with the chopped cilantro and shredded cheese.

 To Assemble

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Spread 3/4 cup of the tomatillo sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.

Pour the oil into a small bowl or ramekin. Using a pastry brush (or your hands), brush both sides of each tortilla with oil, then stack them on a plate and microwave until hot and steamy, 1-1/2 - 2 minutes. This makes them pliable.

Spoon about 1/3 cup of the filling down the center of each tortilla. Roll each tortilla tightly and place side by side in the baking dish, seam side down.

Pour the remaining chili sauce over the top, and use the back of a spoon to spread evenly over each tortilla. Sprinkle the cheese down the center of the enchiladas. Bake until hot and bubbling, 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle the smoked paprika down the center of the enchiladas and serve immediately with sour cream, lettuce, avocado and lime wedges.

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Chicken Cordon Bleu

Ingredients:

1 lb chicken cutlets
1/4 cup flour
1 egg, whisked
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp salt
salt and pepper
about 2 tbsp olive oil, for drizzling
1/3 lb thinly sliced black forest ham
1/3 lb thinly sliced Swiss or Gruyere cheese (or you can do grated cheese instead)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Set a wire rack on top of a baking sheet.

Set up your breading stations by placing the flour in the first bowl, the egg in the second, and the panko in the third. Season the panko by adding the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, dried thyme, and salt.

Lay out your chicken cutlets on a cutting board and gather up some toothpicks, about 2 or 3 per cutlet (or you can tie it up with kitchen twine if you prefer that). Season both sides of the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper, and drizzle on a little bit of olive oil. Place a single layer of both ham and cheese on each cutlet, and roll it up tightly. Secure with the toothpicks or tie it up with twine to keep it closed up.

Dip the rolled chicken slices first in the flour, then in the egg, then in the panko breadcrumbs, shaking off the excess coating every step of the way (if you don't do this, your breading will want to fall off later). Place on the wire rack.

Baking time will vary depending on how big your chicken cutlets are, but 30-35 minutes should be about right. I bake the chicken until it's about 152 degrees F inside (rises to about 155-157 during resting), to make sure it doesn't overcook. Let the chicken rest for about 5-10 minutes out of the oven so the juices don't run out, and remove the toothpicks or kitchen twine before serving. Enjoy!

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